


Deception and Mastery

by lordofthesith



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angry Kylo Ren, Deception, Force-Sensitive Hux, Knights of Ren - Freeform, Sleeper knight!Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 21:44:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6395035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordofthesith/pseuds/lordofthesith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m surprised you didn’t notice earlier, honestly. It was all too obvious, but you were so deep in your own self-pity that you didn’t even notice the deception just in front of you. It’s a shame, really,” he ended with a smirk, bordering on a sneer. </p><p>There has always been something off about General Hux, at least that is what Kylo Ren believes. Hux, on the other hand, will keep Kylo on a need to know basis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deception and Mastery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unfortunette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unfortunette/gifts).



> I'm really starting to enjoy writing General Hux. Also, s/o to rianofski for a very happy birthday. I hope you enjoy sleeper knight!Hux, dear.

General Hux had been a Knight of Ren long before he had been he had been a general, long before he had known Kylo Ren. He had become a Knight at the age of 15, but even then, he had known that it had to be kept a secret. And so came his double life, managed with grace and skill. It certainly helped that he held the ability to clear the minds of those who found the truth. Although, he rarely used that ability, much more favoring assassination over his use of the Force. It was easy, really. Easy enough that he had graduated from the academy and risen to his rank of general, all while keeping his Knight status a secret. He was a sleeper Knight, silent and waiting for the right time to wake to the world.

Hux was a force-user. He had been able to reach the force ever since he was a child. His father hated force users, hated everything about them. Hux was no allowed to use the force, not allowed to touch it or learn anything about it, and he had even followed that order for a portion of his young life. He had first truly made contact with the force during a fight. Hux had not been a large child, and had been described as “scrawny” and “pathetic”. Hux’s mother was too busy off world being pampered and adorned in lavish jewels and gowns. Brendol Hux had told Hadrian that, if he ever wanted the bullying and teasing to stop, he needed to do something about it. That was all he had said on the subject and had refused to help further. Hadrian had been cornered one day against the corner of a market wall, away from any form of help. It had taken two blows for him to act. His hand went out and a part of him that had lay dormant for so long welled up and took hold of him. Two of the boys had been flung back and against the walls of the alley. The last one stood with shock, unable to move. Hux was near enough to panicking, but knew he needed to do something. “You will go home now,” he had said, his voice layered with a power he hadn’t known had ever been there, “You will not remember this, nor will you speak of this to anyone.” The boy’s eyes had become glazed and, after repeating back what had been said, walked off to do just as Hux had commanded. He was stunned. This sort of power was enough to become drunk off of.

He learned later that the other two boys had died, one as soon as he had hit the wall, one a few hours later. The third became a trader and died after transporting Resistance plans.

 Ren didn’t know it, but he had hated Hux long before he had met him as a general. Hadrian met Ren six years after being made into a Knight of Ren himself. He’d hated the broken, angry teen the moment he had laid eyes on him, and Kylo had hated him as well. They constantly butted heads, but Hux was near silent, only speaking when he needed to. Otherwise, he challenged Kylo in the style of his fighting, in the way he sparred, in the posture and body language he conveyed around Kylo. It was almost too easy to infuriate the knight, and one too many times he had found himself pinned against a wall or being beaten so much so that he had to restrain the knight with the force. Although Kylo was much more powerful than Hadrian, he was held back by Snoke, his training stunted. Hux, having trained under Snoke for a long time, was smart enough to pick up on this and worked around his master’s regulations, delving deeper into the ways of the force and teaching himself. Kylo was blinded. Hux saw why; he had been twisted by Snoke in so many ways that he could no longer see the influence Snoke had over him. Hux had, at one point, wished to inform Ren of his being deceived, but decided against it after the death of a petty officer at the hands of the uncontrollable force-user. Hux had met Ren again aboard the finalizer, dressed up in the guise of the General of the First Order. Ren had momentarily been confused. Hux had only kept his voice similar between his personas. He hated the idea of a modulator. He was a man of silence, he felt no need for one. Ren must have, to some degree, recognized his voice. But that quickly blew over as his annoyance with the general overtook his curiosity and it had been that way ever since.

Hux had never liked his force-sensitivity. It was too chaotic, too unpredictable. He used it when he needed it. He was skilled at fighting with a light saber and even more so at being a sniper. It was something he excelled at, his magnum opus. After mastering the force under Snoke and becoming a Knight of Ren, the academy was all too easy. Becoming a general was simply a game of manipulation and intelligence, something those above him seemed to lack in favor of arrogance. Snoke helped occasionally, but he was busy with Kylo Ren. The mere idea that Snoke had only had interest in Kylo always seemed to spark a fire of unwarranted anger in Hux. Hadrian was much more composed, and much more trustworthy. When Kylo had been appointed as the Master of the Knights of Ren, Hux had lost control, though only briefly. Hux found that, over time, he began to respect Kylo. He was brash and arrogant and dramatic, but he was just as cunning as Hux, and certainly made up for it in bravery and his dark demeanor that kept troops in line.

The destruction of Starkiller base had put a hole in the heart of the general. He rushed through the snow with a group of Stormtroopers behind him, watching the ping of Ren’s tracker on his holopad. He didn’t need it. He knew just where Kylo was. The unmistakable flare of raw emotion was unmistakable. When numb shock flowed from Kylo, dread settled light a weight in Hadrian’s stomach. When he reached Kylo, he found him flat on his back in the snow, a dark red stain spreading below him. He took a second to take in the absolute _absurdity_ of the situation: the planet breaking apart around them and the scavenger girl making her escape, and Kylo fucking Ren laying in the snow like a broken rag doll. Hux ordered the troopers to move him. They escaped to the ship just in time, barely making it to light speed before the planet imploded.

They reached the Finalizer on the outer rim. Hux made sure to go with Kylo to the infirmary, so as to make sure his medical staff made it through the ordeal. When the report finally reached him, he learned that Ren had torn a tendon in his shoulder, and his left side had been badly damaged by the wookie’s cross bolt. He would recover, yes, but it would take time. Hux hated him. If Hadrian had been the one fighting, they would be fleeing in a much downtrodden state of mind. Whilst Ren was out of commission, Hux took his role to an extreme. He met with Snoke as often as possible and even went so far as to have the rest of the Knights of Ren brought aboard. The First Order was far from ready for another attack. He recruited troops and, at one point, even considered a clone army to make up for the hundreds of thousands of troops they had lost on Starkiller. But Snoke was adamantly against it, so he stuck to taking children. Only once or twice did they dare attack a Resistance Base, But Hux had found special delight in washing away the Resistance values in their children.

It was half a cycle since the destruction of Starkiller. Snoke had postponed Kylo Ren’s training due to the urgency of the situation at hand and the state in which the aforementioned knight was in. They were called to the throne room and Hux felt that something had changed. He had taken time, lots of time, to figure out where the disturbance was, and now he knew: the scavenger. She was force-sensitive, and because she was now in the hands of the resistance, she was most likely training with that damned Luke Skywalker. Snoke’s orders had played into Hux’s forming idea. He had been ordered to rebuild, bigger and better than before. His army was now twice the size of the last. But no amount of soldiers in the galaxy stood a chance against a Jedi, much less a Jedi master and apprentice. He had learned from the faults of the Empire not to underestimate the abilities of the Jedi. He would not make the same mistake.

Ren and Hux arrived at the throne room at the same time, walking down the long path side by side. Hux walked stiffly, never even glancing at Ren. Snoke was waiting for them. They stood now, under him, faces upturned to the great being above them. Snoke gazed at both of them for a while.

“My apprentice,” Snoke started. Hux restrained himself from responding, just as he always had done, “You have recovered from you battle with the scavenger girl?” It was a blow, a small one but a blow nonetheless.

“Yes, master,” Ren said, hiding his annoyance. Hux looked to him briefly then. He was unmasked, having lost his helmet on Starkiller. A long scar marred the left side of his face, growing wider as it neared his jawline. His arm was healed now, but his movements were still careful from the damage to his side. Hux allowed himself to think about the twisted scar that now ran along Ren’s side. Hux had always found Kylo to be attractive, though he would never act on such feelings.

“We are preparing for a frontal attack like no other. We will be able both to damage the Resistance greatly and draw out the Jedi master and his new apprentice.” Kylo and Hux mutually felt a thrill of excitement run through them. This would be the deciding battle in their war. Hux had confidence in his troops, confidence in the power of his army and in the First Order. But there was something else, a piece of the puzzle that nagged him. “Apprentice, you must not lose yourself to the light, not in this time of our victory. You must hold yourself firm in the power of the dark side.”

“I will, my master. I will not fall to the light.” So fragile, so shaken in his resolve. Hux didn’t trust his statement.

Snoke turned to Hux then, looking at him with an air that made the hairs on Hadrian’s neck stand on end. It was not from fear, it was from anticipation. Snoke had something that, at one time, may have resembled a grin, or possibly a sneer. “General Hux,” he started. Ren looked to Hux. “It is time.” This was a shock. He had always known that Snoke would decide when he has to reveal himself, but he was shocked he would do it now. It made perfect sense, though. Hux stood a little straighter, though his stiff posture relaxed into that of the Knight. A glimpse of a smirk pulled on his lip. He could feel Ren’s confusion next to him. He reached up and removed his hat, ran a hand through his slick hair and ruffled it. He let out a small sigh.

“Yes, Lord Snoke.” He responded, his voice even.

“You know what you are to do.” Hux bowed his head and Snoke gave him one last look before fading away. Ren was nervous, confused. Hux turned to him and let a grin cross his features before he walked away. To no surprise at all, Ren followed him, blinking rapidly and trying to figure out what to say.

“General Hux!” he finally managed, “I demand you tell me what is going on this moment!”

“I thought someone as intuitive and intelligent as you would have already figured it out by now, Ren. Now go and prepare your ship. We will be departing soon.” He walked down the hall towards his quarters. He turned sharply into them and let the door close behind him with Ren still shell shocked and confused on the other side. He knew where they would go from here. Ren, Hux, and the rest of the knights would lead, at the rest of the ships would follow with the army. It was easy.

Inside the room, he pulled his greatcoat off and hung it up along with his tunic and his undershirt. He stripped off the pressed trousers and shoes. The he pulled from the back of his closet the robes he had so long wished to wear out of confidence. He pulled on the trousers and the undershirt with its long, ribbed sleeves. He latched on the long tunic and latched the straps that held it firm to his lithe form. He pulled on the boots. He went to his chest that he kept locked at pressed his thumb to it. He pulled out first his helmet, the flat steel of it glaring up at him, only marked by the straight visor in the center. He didn’t need it to do anything other than to hide his identity. He didn’t need it anymore. To some degree, he _wanted_ others to know who he was, what he could do. He set it aside and picked up his saber. It was a back facing saber that allowed him more movement, though he rarely fought with it. He tucked it into its spot on his belt and picked up his weapon of choice: his sniper rifle. He slung it over his shoulder. Standing, he grinned at the idea of meeting Ren on the ship. He would remember the shock on his face.

He walked down the hall with practiced easy, though his gait was different than that of the general. Troopers recognized him and avoided him more than normal, terrified of this new development. He made his way down to the landing bay and climbed aboard the ship, giving a curt nod to Captain Phasma. Ren was standing just behind the transparasteel window, watching as the officers prepared the ship for takeoff. Hux reached out with the force, brushing against Kylo’s mind. The knight stiffened, thoughts of fear and of curiosity rising to the surface. Hux came to s stop next to Ren. “Lord Ren,” he greeted curtly. When he didn’t get a response, he turned to Kylo. The man looked dumb, staring at him with a mixture of shock and anger.

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice earlier, honestly. It was all too obvious, but you were so deep in your own self-pity that you didn’t even notice the deception just in front of you. It’s a shame, really,” he ended with a smirk, bordering on a sneer.

He recognized Hux. He could see the moment that he realized who he was. “I shouldn’t have been surprised that a snake like you would have done such a thing, but the knights of Ren are not your playthings. There are no secrets, no lies such as these. I hope you realize what this will change.” He was fiery now, burning with hatred. The ship lifted off, but the officers around them shrunk back for fear of coming between the argument, though neither man paid them any mind. Hux sneered. He had never, as the general, allowed much emotion to come across his face. It made him vulnerable. But as a knight, it was a weapon, a path to access the force if need be.

“This changes _nothing._ ” He stepped closer to him, not even caring about Ren’s advantage in height. “I have been a Knight of Ren longer than you, and I was to become master. Snoke favors you. There is no other reason for your being appointed over me.”

“And yet I am still your master,” Kylo said, drawing himself up much like a Neimoidian pylat bird, all pride and vanity. Hux was unimpressed.

“And I am simultaneously still the general of the First Order. You cannot and will not stop me from doing the job Supreme Leader Snoke has given me.” He was sure that Kylo didn’t care, that all he cared about was the fact that he had some semblance of authority over Hux. While Hux was not forced to learn anything from him, he was required to follow orders, as were the rest of the knights. Hux didn’t allow himself to have an opinion on that. “Obviously I won’t follow orders from you like your pet, as I managed to deceive you for fourteen years. Ren,” He tilted his head, as if considering him, “You should have known. I will never understand why you, after nothing but tantrums and no show of loyalty, became master over me, but know that it will not last long.” The image of Ren, broken and beaten, flashed into his head. With unbidden glee, he pushed the image towards Ren and held joy in watching the horror descend upon Kylo. He turned, seeing the other knights. He brushed past Ren, who was starting to bristle again. He moved to go away from Ren, but found that the knight had grabbed him by the fabric of his tunic. He snarled, angry.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he growled. 

“It was _need to know,_ ” he said calmly, “And you obviously didn’t.” He glared at the knight, unable to hide the smirk that cross his features. “You will release me,” he stated. He pushed at him, uncaring if it worked or not. Slowly, amazingly, Ren released him. Hux smoothed out his tunic and let himself grin, long and wolfish.

He moved past Kylo, who looked confused and angry. “It was fun, playing the general,” he mused, “and so _easy._ ” He walked past him, hands clasped behind his back. He was free now, open to dropping the guise of the general and commanding his troops as he saw fit. No one could stand in his way now, not even Kylo Ren. He disappeared into his quarters without another word.


End file.
